WAVERLEY - A NEW TOWN FOR ROTHERHAM
For more on the proposals for the development, the page on ROTHERHAM COUNCIL'S site.
Orgreave, between Sheffield and Rotherham was part of a large colliery and coking complex. It was the destination for large volumes of coal dug out of the South Yorkshire coalfield in the 1970s and 80s. In mid 1980s, the Conservative government decided to target the industry for rationalisation and closures. Many shaft mines closed, and thousands of miners lost their jobs, which damaged entire communities.
The area is currently undergoing a second chance industrial activity. The methods used when the spoil heap was first created were quite wasteful. The spoil still contains a lot of useful material and coal residue. This is now being removed, and the spoil is being moved and sifted yet again. The process is called 'washing'. The river was apparently diverted to allow open casting of the remaining coal reserves. The site is being redeveloped with the overburden being replaced, or removed to reduce the impact on the area.
The Orgreave Colliery Restoration Plan is well underway.
As part of the regeneration of the area it was proposed to establish a new settlement to be called WAVERLEY. This is a long term project, and would not be completed until around 2020.
The site can be seen from the A630 Parkway which links the M1 motorway to the centre of Sheffield via Handsworth, which has a rather large ASDA store.